Here is another book with lots of magic but this one is definitely peppered with more delightful humour than one usually finds in books for young adults. The Amulet of Samarkand, by Jonathan Stroud, is the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy and Bartimaeus is a 5,000-year-old djinni, who must be the central character in all the three books.

 Bartimaeus has to do the bidding of an 11-year-old boy, Nathaniel, who has learnt enough magic from his master, who's a magician too, to call the djinni and send him to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from a wicked magician, Simon Lovelace. However, Lovelace is too smart and cunning to be tricked by a little lad and a djinni and soon has the two in deeper trouble than they could have imagined.

Set in London, the story unfolds how Nathaniel and Bartimaeus save themselves and also foil Lovelace's wicked plans that can lead to chaos.

The tone and style of the book is very appealing and delightful, and there seems to be hardly a dull moment in the plot that is full of twists and turns. A great read by all standards.

- Aamnah Arshad

Available at Paramount Books